NORRISTOWN — A rash of 10 suspicious fires that occurred in the past two weeks is being investigated by the Norristown Fire Department, Norristown police and the Montgomery County Detectives Bureau, and Fire Chief Tom O’Donnell confirmed Wednesday one of the fires was the work of an arsonist.

The first blaze, a trash fire, broke out at 6:10 p.m. Oct. 27 on West Penn Street, O’Donnell said. The latest occurred on Tuesday at 2:18 a.m. and involved a vehicle in a parking lot behind 320 Hamilton St.

“The whole car was on fire,” O’Donnell recalled. “The cause is still undetermined. It was suspicious in nature and we’re not saying this one is arson, as it’s still under investigation.”

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So far, a vehicular fire that occurred on the first block of East Elm Street at 6:30 a.m. Nov. 1 is the lone incident that has clearly been determined to be the work of an arsonist, O’Donnell said.

According to a report in The Times Herald, the car’s owner said she was awakened by a neighbor who alerted her about the fire. The owner told police she had not experienced any mechanical problems with the vehicle and could not imagine who would want to set fire to it.

That morning, police informed the victim they had been at the residence at 3:30 a.m. for a report of a disturbance, and upon arrival, they found a man knocking at the door of the apartment. The man told police he was trying to get inside the apartment. The owner of the car confirmed she had heard the knocking, but could not identify who was at the door. Once the fire was extinguished, the vehicle was towed to the police station as evidence in the ongoing investigation.

“Anytime you have a vehicle that catches fire and it hasn’t rained in some time — it’s just parked in a parking lot — it’s suspicious in nature,” O’Donnell said. “So now we’ve had a mix of fires … two vehicle fires, trash alongside a building, brush fires. Luckily enough, nobody has been injured.”

O’Donnell asked residents to be more alert in the wake of the fires.

“If people see something suspicious, out of character or unfamiliar to them, they should call 911 so police can respond,” he said. “We have a potential problem here in the community and we need residents’ help in preventing future suspicious fires. Be more alert of your surroundings and be aware of your neighbor’s property. If you see somebody lurking around, call 911 and have the police respond.”